Nomad's mysteries (pretty long)

[Bolonsky Adam]

I have been trying to figure out what lights Nomad saw on the recent overnight he took to Nomans Island off the Vineyard.

While the following is in no way meant to advocate his risky trip, Nomad’s obviously careful planning, as well as his daring and his confusion about the lights he saw, have been to me both inspiring and instructive.

For one, Nomad gave a vivid description of Nomans. More important, he revealed how he planned his trip to take advantage of Vineyard Sound’s considerable tidal currents, and how he discovered a handy portage by taking a good long look at aerial photos of the Vineyard.

Anyhow, while he was out there, Nomad says he thinks he saw the following lights and lighthouses:

1. To his left (or about 320 northwest magnetic), the lighthouse at Gay Head.

My charts show that Gay Head light rises 170 feet above sea level, flashes a alternating white and green light every 15 seconds (see chart excerpt) and is visible from the bridge of your average vessel for 20 miles, not including the light’s looming (glow), which I guess would add say another couple miles to the light’s sighting distance.

I’d say there’s little doubt Nomad could have seen the light at Gay Head. Nomans lies only five miles southeast of Gay Head, well within the light’s 20-mile sighting distance.

2. Nomad thinks he may have seen to his left (about 310 degrees northwest magnetic) the lighthouse at Cuttyhunk.

My charts show that Cuttyhunk lies around 10 miles from Nomans, at about 310 degrees northwest magnetic, putting the light far enough west of the bluffs at Gay Head, it seems, for it to be visible from Nomans. And from my reading of the charts, it would seem Nomad’s view of Cuttyhunk light would have been possible, but only with a few qualifications:

The light at Cuttyhunk, a QF, or quick-flasher (it flashes 60 times a minute), is located about 63 feet above sea level and is visible from eight miles, or two miles beyond Nomad’s sighting distance. If Nomad had been standing on a Nomans’ bluff high enough to increase his sighting distance by about 25%, he could have been able to see the Cuttyhunk light quick-flash.

However:

3. Nomad COULD have mistaken the light at Buzzards Bay entrance tower (BBET) for the light at Cuttyhunk, but only if he were standing on a tall bluff at Nomans. A 101-footer equipped with a relatively weak beacon, the Buzzards Bay entrance tower light lies about fifteen miles westerly of Nomans. Visible for seven miles (roughly half Nomad’s distance from it), Nomad would have been able to see BBET only if he were pretty high up. In that case (and if he cared), his chart would have showed him that while the entrance tower light flashes once every 2.5 seconds, Cuttyhunk’s light is a rapid quick-flasher, making the one pretty easy to distinguish from the other.

4. Cape Poge Light. As Ken Cooper pointed out, Nomad probably is mistaken here.

A 65-footer, Cape Poge light is visible for 9 miles. Located about 15 miles from Nomans at about 70 degrees northeast magnetic (I'm using thumbs and hands to measure degrees and miles here), Cape Poge light wouldn’t be visible from Nomans unless you were standing on a Noman's bluff high enough to practically double your sighting distance. And from the chart, it doesn’t appear that there are bluffs high enough on Nomans to provide that.

5. Great Point Light (Nantucket). Nomad pretty much has to be mistaken here, as Ken has already pointed out. A 71-footer that sports a five-second single-flasher (I’m just reading this stuff off NOAA chart 13200), Great Point light is visible for 12 miles. Since Nomans lies about 35 miles from Great Point, Nomad would have had to have been standing on a bluff on Nomans that was tall enough to triple Great Point Light’s sighting distance.

So here’s what I think Nomad saw.

1. He probably did see the lighthouse at Gay Head. He could have noted its white then red flash every X seconds to confirm this. But under a beautiful full moon on a solo trip like that, who’d care?

2. He might have been able to see the light at Cuttyhunk. Again, knowing that Cuttyhunk’s is a quick-flasher with a 60-flashes-per-minute flash period, Nomad would have easily been able to identify it. But then again, maybe he really didn't have reason to care. It sounded like a beautiful enough night to make all that sort of stuff seem moot.

3. He may have been able to catch a glimpse of the flashes from the light at the Buzzards Bay entrance tower. But, again, only if were he high up enough on a Nomans’ bluff to increase the light’s sighting distance by about 25 percent. And again, Nomad’s chart would have told him that tower light flashes once every 2.5 seconds, making it easy for him to identify it.

4. It's doubtful Nomas could have seen the light at Cape Poge, unless, again, he was standing high on a Noman's bluff. Cape Poge light is X feet tall and is visible for X miles. If he had seen it, Nomad would have been able to identify it by its X by X flash pattern. (You fill in the blanks here.)

5. Finally, as Ken has already pointed out, there’s no way Nomad could have seen the light at Great Point. It's simply too far off, and there aren't bluffs on Nomans tall enough to let you see it. Perhaps then, as someone has already said, Nomad mistook airport tower lights on the Vineyard for it, or radio tower lights on Nantucket, or even an offshore fishing vessel’s nav or deck lights.

Anyhow, anybody have any different ideas? Because just as when Buddy Hogan and I tried to parse out last year out the details of that kayaking accident that killed two off Chatham, I find chart-driven reconstructions of others’ trips and mishaps helpful from a safety perspective, mostly because the work requires me to read all the relevant charts with a lot of care and attention to detail.

Finally, as wrap-up, here’s my two cents on Nomad’s gaze ‘round that sublime nightt time horizon. If he had a chart with him (maybe he did), as well as what I assume were his topo maps and a mapping GPS, as well a watch with a second hand on it (and his reading glasses!), maybe he could have been able to identify the lights he was looking at. He did make it home afterwards, and he did share his trip report. And while I still can’t say his paddling out there one-man and poach-camping anything wasn't risky from all sorts of perspectives, still: doesn’t it sound like he had one helluva enjoyable if short trip? I for sure enjoyed reading about it.

[djlewis]

Why not get Nomad to sign on here -- anonymously if necessary. I myself don't particularly like anonymous postings on this (or any) net forum, but the justification in this case makes some sense.

Anyway, then we could stop speculating and calculating, and interact with her or him to find out what she or he actually did see. Beyond that, we could talk about the trip in general, and probably learn lots more of value than we are getting this way.

--David.

[Richard N]

My theory, based on local, on the water, knowledge of the area at night during the months of October and November.

Cuttyhunk:

On the first of November only a few houses are occupied and very few (if any) lights would be visible from Nomans. Aside from some dimly lit homes on the island and possibly one or two street lights, the island is basically dark. And, because of the location of the houses and topography of the island, I doubt any of the lights could be seen from nomans.

On a clear night, twinkling lights along the coast from Narragansett to New Bedford and the Brenton Reef light are visible from Cuttyhunk and the Vinyard. Based on weather conditions described, the lights should also have been visible from Nomans.

What Nomad assumed to be Cuttyhunk, was most likely the bright light on the tower at Brenton Reef. (aprox. 90 degrees to the left of Gay Head) . And, I suspect the twinkling lights were from Narragansett , Newport. or Sakonnet Point.

Just my 2 cents.

Richard N

Living to learn.

Romany, White with Blue trim

[Brian Nystrom]

I agree with you about anonymous posts, but it seems pretty obvious that the reason for this one was to avoid self-incrimination on a public forum. While I doubt that I would ever re-create this trip - at least in the manner in which it was done - I enjoyed the story. It sounds like Noman's Island would make an interesting day trip from the Vinyard.

[donperry]

This brings back fond memories of a younger day, sailing on warm winter nights out around San Carlos Bay on the Gulf. I’d stand on deck, searching the night horizon for recognizable flashing markers, managing the tiller with my knee, a beer in one hand and a flashlight in the other. An off-duty dancer from the Fantasy Club held the chart in one hand and an offering of crackers and cheese in the other. I can recall seeing unidentifiable lights out on the water beyond my chart and wondering “What the hell is that?”

I suspect Nomad did not have a chart showing Nantucket. After all, the trip was not planned so far to the east. I’m certain he was there but I doubt illumination from the 158’ Sankaty Light (bearing 88° range 38M) was visible even through a dry air mass. Did Nomad hike the path to the 110’ high ground in the moonlight? If he had, perhaps he could have spotted the 258’ Southeast Point Light on Block Island (bearing 259° range 34M). He would also have a direct line of vision to the 65’ Cape Poge Light (bearing 58° range 19M). But would flashing illumination from these lights with notably shorter visibility distances at sea level be visible from the high point on Nomads Land?

The only way of knowing would be a visit to both beach and high ground under similar atmospheric conditions with the appropriate chart set, binoculars or spotting scope and a compass. But going back to Nomad’s Land for a nocturnal visit will be a tough act to follow. Camouflaged dry suits are probably hard to find too.

Going to Mt Agamenticus or Halibut Point when conditions are right would be much easier, even though both parks are closed after dark. Cape Porpoise and the twin towers on Thatcher Island should clearly visible from Mt Agamenticus now that the leaves are gone. What lights can be identified on a clear night from the high ground at Halibut Point? The observation point north of the quarry is about 70’ above sea level while the tower is about 140’ but probably closed at night.

NOAA Chart 13009 shows some lights along the south coast of Maine that may or may not be visible from Halibut Point on a clear night. A list of some lights & characteristics along with approximate headings from Halibut Point follows:

Cape Elizabeth Fl (6) 30s 129ft 27M /bearing 20°t(37°) range 56M

Wood Island Al W&G 10s 14M /bearing 16°t (33°) range 48M

Cape Porpoise FL 6s 38ft 12M /bearing 12°t (29°) range 41M

Cape Neddick Iso R 6s 13M /bearing 3°t (20°) range 29M

Isles of Shoals Fl 15s 82ft 20M /bearing 0°t (17°) range 17M

There’s a good possibility of Northern Lights tonight and I’m thinking about going out there.

[eneumeier]

>Going to Mt Agamenticus or Halibut Point when conditions are

>right would be much easier, even though both parks are

>closed after dark. Cape Porpoise and the twin towers on

>Thatcher Island should clearly visible from Mt Agamenticus

>now that the leaves are gone. What lights can be identified

>on a clear night from the high ground at Halibut Point? The

>observation point north of the quarry is about 70’ above sea

>level while the tower is about 140’ but probably closed at

>night.

The Halibut point tower is closed and locked at night, but many folks (Wicca types mostly) do full moon walks to the Halibut observation point. Let me know when you want to go and I'll bring my charts, etc.

Liz N.